Chelsea Legend Claps Back at £32m Striker Nicolas Jackson's Command to ‘Shut His Mouth’

Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel has brushed off recent criticism from current Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, who told him to 'shut his mouth'.

Jackson took aim at Obi Mikel after scoring in Chelsea’s impressive 6-2 victory over Premier League rivals Wolves.

Obi Mikel, who won Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup trophies at Stamford Bridge, had criticised Jackson after the opening game of the season against Manchester City.

Speaking on beIN SPORTS after watching his former club fall to defeat to the Premier League champions, Obi Mikel said: ‘We’ve played OK, we haven’t played perfect, but we’ve played OK.

‘We created chances, we haven’t taken them. And [it’s] just an example of how Jackson finishes. 

‘You can see there, even though he was offside, he dribble (past) one or two or three players and the way he shot the ball!

‘You need a striker who knows how to hit a ball back in the back of the net and that’s what we don’t have. 

‘I know I talk so much about him and sometimes I sound like I disrespect him. I don’t disrespect him.

‘I think at Chelsea Football Club we need a top striker who can get us a goal. A bit like (Haaland), 91 goals (for City) that’s absolutely unbelievable.’

Jackson scored 17 goals in 44 appearances during his first season at Chelsea following a £32m move from La Liga club Villarreal.

The Senegal striker was clearly annoyed by Obi Mikel’s comments and took to social media after the Wolves win to make his feelings clear.

‘Shut your mouth,’ Jackson said, tagging Obi Mikel. ‘Don’t talk s***, we are killing ourselves for Africa.’ 

Obi Mikel has now responded to Jackson’s outburst, insisting he wants his compatriot to do well at Stamford Bridge but will always give his honest opinion on players.

‘I really like the guy as a football player. I like him. There’s something there as a football player,’ the 37-year-old said on The Obi One podcast.

‘I haven’t said that he’s a bad player at all. I’ve just said that his finishing qualities, it’s not there yet.  

‘He’s a young boy and all I’ve said is that he needs a more experienced striker to come into the football club to help him, to help him improve, to help him get better. 

‘We all can see the shift he puts in week in, week out. So for me, I would like to see my African brother like he said do well in the Premier League, come to Chelsea, a big club, a massive club where we’ve had one of the greatest strikers in Didier Drogba from Africa, Ivory Coast did really well.

‘I’d like to see him do well as well in the club. If he plays well I will praise him. If there is something to be said about him, where he needs to improve, I will definitely say it.  

‘If he scores every week and tells me to shut up, I’ll take that. You know what I mean?’

Jackson will look to continue his goalscoring streak on Thursday when Chelsea face Servette in the Europa Conference League.

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